What is the Baha'i Faith?
The name of the Founder of the Baha'i Faith is Baha'u'llah,
which means the Glory of God. A Baha'i is a follower of Baha'u'llah.
The words "Baha'i" and "Baha'u'llah" are pronounced
exactly the same way in every language.
The Baha'i Faith is a world religion in three meanings
of the term "world religion:"
First. The Baha'i Faith is not a sect, denomination,
or branch of any other religion. It has been long recognized by
the United Nations, the Vatican, the World Parliament of Religions
and other institutions as an independent world religion, in the
same sense that Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism
are also independent world religions.
Second. The Baha'i Faith has well-established
significant communities in 210 countries and territories, more
than any other independent religion, with the exception of Christianity,
which has 260, according to the 1995 Encyclopedia Britannica Yearbook.
Baha'is are people from every possible religious
background: Buddhists, Jews, Muslims, Zoroastrians, Hindus, Protestants,
Catholics, traditional tribal faiths, and those who formerly had
no religious beliefs at all. Scattered throughout the planet,
more than 2,100 ethnic groups and tribes are represented in the
Faith. Its literature has been translated into over 800 languages.
There are many millions of Baha'is around the world. It has been
called the fastest growing independent world religion by the World
Christian Encyclopedia.
Third. The belief in the unity of all human
beings is the pivot of the Baha'i Faith. Baha'u'llah said, "Let
your vision be world-embracing, rather than confined to your own
selves." --Baha'u'llah, Gleanings, p. 94
Because of their global vision, Baha'is have been
at the forefront in working for permanent world peace and racial
harmony and have been honored by the United Nations and other
international organizations for their work.
In spite of the diversity of their religious, ethnic,
cultural, and economic backgrounds, Baha'is have overcome these
barriers to celebrate both what they have in common and what makes
each individual and group unique in the larger human family.
Through a common devotion to the Founder of the
Faith and the principles which He taught, rich and poor mingle
as equals and work together to bring about a better world for
everyone. Their Faith has given the Baha'is an allegiance to the
whole of humanity. Baha'is have no color line or racial segregation.
In this Faith, people of all races find equality with each other
because they are all equal before God and are of one race -- the
human race.
The Baha'i Faith is open to everyone. It has no
secret doctrines, no religious rituals, no professional clergy,
and it actively seeks to include all of humanity in a peaceful
and thriving human enterprise.
Baha'u'llah declared that in our time religion must
unite people or else it has no social value. He asserted that
religion must show people how to build a just world.
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